Olivier Azam starts his coaching career as French Top 14 side Toulon’s forwards coach – Rugby news
Toulon based French Professional Rugby Union side, RC Toulonnais, has confirmed the signing of a one-year deal with the Olivier Azam. The coach will join the French Top 14 outfit in the start of next season as forwards coach.
Club’s officials have confirmed the signing of the one-year contract with the former international hooker Azam on their website on Tuesday June 7. The contract has the option to extend it by a year. Azam has replaced Aubin Hueber
as the forwards coach. Hueber’s services for the club were terminated at the end of a poor 2010/11 Top 14 season and European season for Toulon.
The 36-year-old Oliver Azam retired from the game after Gloucester Rugby announced the veteran’s release on May 19. It was a very disappointing end for the star, as earlier in April he was banned for his head-butting incident
against the Northampton Saints’, Adam Eustace.
Tarbes, France born Azam started his professional rugby career for Tarbes Pyrénées. In 1999, he joined Montferrand. In 2000, Azam joined the Gloucester Rugby at the age of 26. He was also the part of the Gloucester Rugby team,
which lifted the 2002 premiership title.
At the end of the 2002/03 season, Azam re-joined the Montferrand for a season and made 11 appearances for them scoring 10 points. At the start of 2004/05 season, Azam re joined the Gloucester Rugby and remained with them until
his retirement in May 2011. He has made 168 premiership appearances for the Gloucester Rugby in his two stints. He has scored 105 points with all points coming from his tries.
Azam was not the first preference of the big money spending French club Toulon’s President Mourad Boudjellal. Boudjellal was more interested in acquiring the services of Serge Milhas. His failure to acquire the coach provided an opportunity to former French
international hooker to start his coaching career.
Azam, made his international debut for France in 1995 against Romania. He represented France at the international level until 2002. He played 10 matches for the national side. Boudjellal has expressed hope that under Azam, Toulon’s forward pack will become
a force in the domestic and European circle and help the team in their efforts to win the titles.
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